The General (1926)

When Union spies steal an engineer's beloved locomotive, he pursues it single-handedly and straight through enemy lines.

Directors:

Clyde Bruckman, Buster Keaton

Writers:

Buster Keaton, Clyde Bruckman

Stars:

Buster Keaton, Marion Mack, Glen Cavender

Top Rated Movies #142 | 2 wins & 1 nomination.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Buster Keaton	...	Johnnie Gray
Marion Mack	...	Annabelle Lee
Glen Cavender	...	Captain Anderson
Jim Farley	...	General Thatcher
Frederick Vroom	...	A Southern General
Charles Henry Smith	...	Annabelle's Father (as Charles Smith)
Frank Barnes	...	Annabelle's Brother
Joe Keaton	...	Union General
Mike Donlin	...	Union General
Tom Nawn	...	Union General

Storyline

Johnnie loves his train ("The General") and Annabelle Lee. When the Civil War begins he is turned down for service because he's more valuable as an engineer. Annabelle thinks it's because he's a coward. Union spies capture The General with Annabelle on board. Johnnie must rescue both his loves.

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Plot Keywords:

train | confederate army | railway chase | general | engineer | 

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Taglines:

Buster drives "The General" to trainload of laughter. (Trade paper ad).

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Genres:

Action | Adventure | Comedy | Drama | War

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Certificate:

Unrated

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

24 February 1927 (France)

Also Known As:

Le mécano de la 'Général'

Filming Locations:

34560 Row River Rd., Cottage Grove, Oregon, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$750,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Buster Keaton Productions, Joseph M. Schenck Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

67 min 80 min (1982) 83 min (1962) 75 min (2003 alternate) 78 min

Sound Mix:

Silent

Color:

Black and White (Sepiatone)

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Buster Keaton wanted to use the real locomotive "The General", which was at the Nashville, Chattanooga, and St Louis Union Depot in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The railroad initially permitted him to do so, even providing him with a branch line to film on. However, when it became known that the film was to be a comedy, the railroad withdrew permission and Keaton had to look elsewhere.

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Goofs

When Johnnie is running through the woods to escape the Union soldiers, his hat drops from the tree before his head hits the hat to dislodge it.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Annabelle's brother: Fort Sumter has been fired upon.
Mr. Lee: Then the war is here.
Annabelle's brother: Yes, dad, and I'm going to be one of the first to enlist.

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Connections

Referenced in Sidewalks of New York (2001)

User Reviews

The Greatest Comedy Ever Made

THE GENERAL represents the greatest achievement screen comedy ever accomplished. From the brilliant gag construction to the sheer excellence of the filmmaking technique, THE GENERAL is a hilarious and amazing journey into comedy. Written and directed by Buster Keaton and Clyde Bruckman, Keaton brings brilliant gags into the story. The film begins when Keaton is told he is of no use to the South as a soldier, but as a train engineer. However, his girlfriend refuses to talk to him until he is in uniform. After the war has started, the girl is kidnapped by some Union raiders on Keaton's train, and so begins the greatest (and funniest) chase ever filmed. For the next 75 minutes, the viewer is in Keaton's world. His gags, routines and amazing slapstick serve to make this the greatest screen comedy ever filmed.

-Matt, age 16